steve_singleton2

I have an F100 outfit I'd sell at a reasonable price. Would include 28-105 lens and SB-28 flash. Let me know if interested and I'll provide details. Would offer 10-day money back guarantee.

At long last, I'm ready to sell out the equipment I used as a film photographer--Arca Swiss, Mamiya, Nikon, lights, stands, etc. Any suggestions as to what resources to consult (Ebay?) to establish fair prices or whether to piece things out or sell as kits? Love to hear from someone in my shoes who's cleared out a quality collection of film gear in the last year or two.

<p>I bought the LX100 last summer before a trip to Europe and have taken a few thousand photos with it. As someone who worked with film for ages, I never liked the idea of having to compose on a LCD screen like a cell phone. The LX100's digital viewfinder does the job for me, at a resolution that doesn't reveal itself as a pixel pattern instead of a real through-the-lens viewfinder. And it's so compact I can carry it as a hiking camera. Drawbacks are that its little wink flash is external, so it takes some fussing to attach it for fill flash; battery life isn't great, so an extra is important; and it's sometimes too easy to move the exposure compensation dial without noticing (it doesn't have a detent or lock). I would prefer doing without the 4k video in favor of a lower price and fewer filter gadget settings to keep things very simple.<br> But all things considered, it has good low light capability, resolution and color quality. I second the suggestion to buy the White book. I've been very pleased with the camera overall.</p>

<p>Just to round out the discussion, indeed I could not meet my requirements at the stated budget of $400. So I bent it upward, considerably. Was able to buy a late-model LX100, like new, for $650. It's early days yet, but the size suits me and the viewfinder is very workable. Didn't need 4K video (I don't have a monitor or TV to view it on), but overall, I'm happy with the purchase thus far. If I'm as pleased after my travels this fall, I'll keep it. If not, I'll resell it and hope not to take too much of a loss. Thanks to all who took the time to reply.</p>

<p>Peter, I agree that would be a terrific deal. However, I checked with Panasonic just now and they have no such direct offer at this moment. Where did you see it?</p>

<p>Thanks for all the good ideas and suggestions. It does appear that the models that come closest to my wish list are too new to show up as used or discontinued models that approach my budget. On the other hand, you guys have pointed out cameras that I hadn't considered before. And it sounds as though the G16 doesn't have the viewfinder I want. In particular, the LX100 sounds very appealing, if pricey. I'll keep my eyes open and maybe run across a deal. If I buy right, I might be able to take my European trip and resell the camera without a big loss, then wait for prices to come down on the models I favor. Almost like renting!<br> Again, thank for the great tips. </p>

<p> After hauling my SLR on a recent backpacking trip, I'm ready to add a compact mirrorless rangefinder travel camera. But I don't want to change 45-year-old shooting habits by composing without an actual viewfinder, even if it's electronic. I want the ability to quickly and accurately change focus; have a moderate fixed-lens zoom range (wider better than longer); reasonable compactness; and a price under $400, new or used. I'd prefer to upgrade my SLR rather than spend a ton on a travel camera.<br> Huge megapixel counts are actually a drawback for me since I never print really large files and don't want to upgrade my computer to better handle them.<br> So I'm looking, as always for the best compromise between image quality, handling, size & weight, and cost.<br> My thoughts so far: Canon G16 seems cost-effective and reasonably compact, good enough quality for me, but I hear nothing about what capabilities the viewfinder offers.<br> The Fujifilm X30 has the electronic viewfinder and seems to offer the old-school feel that would be comfortable for me, but rather exceeds my budget. Without a collapsing lens, it also seems bulkier to pack and carry.<br> The Sony X100 M3 really exceeds my budget, but has the electronic VF and offers extreme portability.<br> Exactly none of these cameras are available to me to evaluate in the local camera store, so I'm flying a bit blind here.<br> Very few reviews or user reports include detail about the viewfinder experience, which is an important point for me.<br> Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.<br /><br /></p>

<p>May I answer a question you didn't ask? That question is how to go about shooting a commercially acceptable group shot of 30-35 people.<br> Rather than worrying about buying a lens, I'd urge you to think through the shot in other ways. First, you really want to shoot outdoors, because I'm assuming you don't have professional flash units, light stands, umbrellas, wireless triggers, etc., etc. A good shot needs good light and creating it takes practice and expensive equipment. Just cranking up the exposure index isn't a good substitute. If speedlight flash is all you've got, you're going to have trouble getting even exposure of the group from front to rear. If bouncing off the ceiling is possible, that would help, but it will cut two stops of light and require a larger aperture, hence shallower depth of field.<br> Never set up a location shoot without scouting the location, ideally before you quote a price. That's asking for trouble until you see what will be involved. You want an attractive or at least neutral background in the shade. Is there a better location close by? Maybe it's slightly less convenient for people to walk a bit to the location, but they're paying you to get a memorable photo not to make things as convenient as possible. You're the director of this shot and they are the actors. If you have confidence and are politely professional, they'll go along with your ideas. If it's feasible, try to insist that the shot be scheduled in the morning or afternoon, when you can pose the group in shade. Nice even open skylight will prevent blocked shadows and blown out highlights and you may be able to add daylight-balanced fill flash to add catchlights to eyes and open up any shadows. Outdoor lighting will also allow you to use a faster shutter speed to prevent camera shake and a smaller aperture for greater depth of field.<br> <br />A tripod may or may not work for this shot. You'll want to be taller than anyone and able to look down on the group, after posing taller people in back and shorter in front. If you can't get above the group using what's already there, be prepared to bring a step ladder or at least a tall step stool to raise your point of view.<br> Pose with the final print in mind. If you're going to sell 4x6 or 6x9s, your viewinder will be fairly accurate, if 8x10's you'll need to compose accordingly.<br> Now to the lens. What's wrong with the 18-55? Your knowledge is more important than the lens you use. My long term suggestion would be to join the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and attend seminars geared toward portrait photographers. The cost of doing so will improve your business-oriented photography faster than a new lens.</p>

<p>Another alternative is to pick up an incident meter. In my opinion, it's more accurate because it reads the light falling on rather than reflecting from the subject. If you get a combination continuous/flash model, that is also helpful if you ever use supplementary flash lighting.</p>

<p>With a large collection of family color slides, and mostly b&w negatives of many formats, I'm wondering whether it makes more sense to buy a film scanner and invest the time in learning how to use it, or to just to pay a service. If I were to buy a scanner, I'd probably try to hope to buy one with an automated slide feeder, then try to resell afterward without taking too much of a loss on the equipment. I don't intend to continue shooting and digitizing film, so I don't want to invest too much time or money in the process of preserving family memories. Can anyone who has been down this road advise me on a strategy?</p>